Inside Linda Hunt's life from a tough childhood to NCIS LA fame and lifelong romance

Linda Hunt, familiar to many as the enigmatic Hetty Lange from NCIS Los Angeles, has generated a buzz of curiosity amongst fans wanting to delve deeper into the actress's life.

The first spin-off of the original NCIS, NCIS LA, ended its successful run on CBS last year after 14 seasons.

Linda Hunt carved her niche within the series from its inception, taking on the role of OSP's (Office of Special Projects) Operations Manager.

Early Challenges

In April 1945, Linda Hunt was born into the family of Elsie and Raymond Hunt in Morristown, New Jersey, though she spent her formative years in Westport, Connecticut.

Her parents soon noticed that Linda was not developing like other children, with doctors contemplating cretinism characterized by stunted mental and physical growth as the cause.

Defying predictions that institutional care was inevitable, Linda's mother obstinately helped her daughter hone her motor skills daily, leading to marked improvement.

Despite the progress, Hunt faced cruelty during her education years, an experience she shared with CBS Sunday Morning.

Remembering her childhood struggles, she said: "Everybody either wanted to take care of me or push me around, you know?

"I was teased a lot, sure I was, of course. Fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, everybody was taking their spurts except me. I was not growing up."

Further reflecting on her past to The Bulletin, Hunt acknowledged the unwavering support from her parents: "I was so lucky my parents were encouraging on every level.

"I was totally alienated by school almost from the first day.

"I had a bad experience with a teacher and was made to feel stupid. I felt bad that I didn't fit in."

The NCIS LA star was diagnosed with hypopituitary dwarfism as a teenager, which meant she would not grow taller than her current height of 4ft 9in.

Pursuing her dreams 

Hunt developed a passion for acting after watching a production of Peter Pan on Broadway, and her parents were supportive of her dream.

She attended the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago for two years before moving to New York to pursue her acting career.

However, it wasn't smooth sailing as she spent three years working as a stage manager at small off-Broadway theatres.

Ready to abandon her dream, Hunt moved back in with her parents, but her acting coach encouraged her to give it another shot.

This led her to audition for the role of Billy Kwan, a half-Asian male photographer with dwarfism, in the film The Year Of Living Dangerously.

Unexpectedly, this resulted in Hunt becoming the first person to win an Oscar for portraying a character of the opposite sex.

In the following years, the actress starred in various projects such as Kindergarten Cop, Pocahontas, Without A Trace, Practice, and NCIS Los Angeles as Hetty Lange.

Car accident

Hunt, a stalwart of NCIS LA, had to press pause on her role in the show after a 2018 horrifying car accident in Hollywood where her black BMW SUV was involved in a multi-car collision. Fortunately, Hunt escaped serious injury but required time off to recuperate, resulting in her absence during season 10 and much of season 11.

At the time, she expressed her gratitude for the support received, stating: "I first want to say how much I appreciate the outpouring of support from the NCIS: Los Angeles fans following my car accident this summer.

"Though I had hoped to return to playing Hetty at the start of the season, I had to take some additional time to recover. I look forward to returning later this season."

Love life

The acclaimed actresss heart belongs to one outside the glare of Hollywood.

Married to psychotherapist Karen Kline in 2008, Linda and her partner have a long-standing connection that spans decades since their meeting in the late 1970s.

Solidifying their partnership further, they made the significant step of moving in together in 1987.

They even unveiled their charming bungalow in Hollywood to the Los Angeles Times in 2014, revealing an abode rich with "a jewel-box home filled with carefully considered details and custom finishes ranging from antique door pulls to lavender-coloured walls and graphic wallcoverings in surprising hues of purple and green."

During a lighthearted chat on CBS Sunday Morning, Kline humorously recalled, "I was kind of struck [by] Linda's corduroys."

Hunt playfully ribbed Kline over his partner's youth, jesting: "Karen's six years younger, but I forgive her daily. I do, I forgive you for being younger."

NCIS Los Angeles is available to watch on CBS.